We know Logan Square has great restaurants, but sometimes we forget just how many great restaurants. The neighborhood is spoiled, to be honest, and you could keep yourself plenty busy eating around here for days. There’s a lot to choose from, but we’ve narrowed it down to the best options. Next time you can’t figure out where to go, consult this list.

The Spots

We’re big fans of Giant, and we tell people to eat here as much as we can. It’s one of the most exciting restaurants to open in the past few years - we have yet to find something on the menu we don’t like. They somehow manage to make a dish like broccoli and cheese a must-order, and you’ll also want to try their pastas, like the tagliatelle with crab and uni butter. The casual space has lot of upbeat energy - it works equally well for date night or a small group dinner.

Mi Tocaya is a small plates restaurant doing upscale takes on regional Mexican food. That means you’ll find some stuff you might not frequently come across - like guisado de nopalitos, a really excellent cactus stew - as well as very good tacos and other familiar favorites. We love the bright, lively space, and the fact that there’s a good chance the chef/owner will come to your table and ask how everything is. This place is the definition of a feel-good neighborhood spot.

Paulie Gee’s came to Chicago from Brooklyn, and initially, we were a little self-conscious about how much we liked it. This is the land of deep-dish pizza, after all. But now we’ll happily admit that the inventive Neapolitan pies here are awesome. We like the rustic ambience, too - everything besides the ceiling is made of wood, and it feels like a tavern as much as a pizza place. As a bonus, they have vegan options that actually taste good. Get anything with their spicy honey as a topping.

There are a lot of new places doing vegetarian-lite food, and Daisies throws its hat into this ring successfully. Their menu is vegetable-focused and also “Midwestern pasta-focused,” which doesn’t mean “Minnesota hot dish” like we feared - it basically means every dish uses fresh, seasonal ingredients. Animal parts do occasionally make an appearance (you’ll find chicken cracklins in the tajarin, and you can get chicken or fish mains, too), but you should mainly be coming here for the pasta.

This Mexican restaurant is doing a lot: lunch, Sunday brunch, mezcal drinks at the bar downstairs - and now it even has a taco truck on its back patio. We love its modern takes on Mexican classics, like a delicious tostada topped with crab. And importantly, without Quiote we wouldn’t know that bone marrow and salsa go well together.

We can’t do a Logan Square guide without talking about the OG Lula Cafe. A lot of other places are basically minions following the path that Lula helped create. This local, farm-to-table restaurant is great for all occasions, whether it’s brunch or a first date on a Saturday night.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Macanese food, which is what you’ll be eating at Fat Rice, it’s a combination of Portuguese and Chinese flavors. The must order is the “arroz gordo,” the dish the restaurant is named for. Come here and share it with a small group, and don’t worry about the limited seating - the low-key space and friendly crowd make for an OK wait.

This cool little joint off of Belden is ideal for grabbing a casual lunch/dinner and beers with some friends. All of the sandwiches are good, and you’re going to need a side of cheese curds every time.

We aren’t vegetarians and we sure as sh*t aren’t vegans, but we have serious respect and appreciation for what The Chicago Diner does. The original location in Boystown has been “Meat Free Since ’83,” and their second location in Logan Square has been doing the same thing for a few years now. We aren’t saying you should stop eating meat, but we are saying you should give a seitan gyro sandwich a try.

You’re either going to love this place or hate it. It’s a tiny little spot that’s open Wednesday through Sunday, 8am-3pm. In the morning they make homemade pastries, breads, and quiches, and in the afternoon there’s a lunch menu, too. It’s not a ton of food, and you have to be cool with paying a few bucks for bread, but we’re totally down with it, if you can’t already tell.

Another spot to try when you’re in the mood for cocktails, but a little hungry, too. They serve quality gin drinks, and the food options include fresh-baked cookies that only become available after midnight. So whatever you do, try and make it until then.

This is a good option if you’re looking for a casual date night spot in the neighborhood. Osteria Langhe focuses on northern Italian food, so you won’t find red sauce-type stuff, but you will find pastas like a plin ravioli, made with la tur cheese in a light truffle sauce.

Reno is like A Tale Of Two Cities. Come in the morning for homemade bagels and delicious breakfast sandwiches, or at night for interesting pizzas, like one topped with pork belly carnitas, salsa verde, mozzarella and cotija cheese. You’ll have the best of times either way.

The Boiler Room is great if you like to drink, particularly whisky. For $10 you get a slice of pizza, PBR tall boy, and a shot of Jameson. It’s cash only, but every time you take cash out of the ATM and eat the stupid fee, they’ll give you another shot of Jameson in exchange for your ATM receipt. The pizza is fine, but it’s the general character of this place that you’re coming for.

We could hang at Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits forever, especially in the summer on the picnic benches in their backyard. The homemade biscuits and breakfast sandwiches are top notch, and they follow them up with excellent and interesting pies. If you’ve never had pie for breakfast, it’s time you changed that.

Red Hot isn’t one of the best quality restaurants in Logan Square, we’ll admit that. But it’s the old school hot dog stand in the neighborhood, and that alone is reason enough to point it out. You need to know where the closest hot dog is at 3am.

Parson’s undoubtedly has one of the best outdoor areas of any restaurant in the city. There’s a bar, picnic benches, and ping pong tables to give you a bit of action. The fried chicken is also really good, plus they make frozen negronis year-round.

If you’re into quality local beer, then this place is for you. You can drink Revolution beers all over the place now, but their warehouse-style brewpub in Logan Square is still the best place to do it. It doesn’t hurt that the pub menu has plenty of good eats, too.

The name and concept of Table, Donkey and Stick is a nod to the eating and drinking traditions of the Alps - specifically, the idea that people need a warm place to escape the cold. Think Midwest version of a Bavarian Inn, with hearty comfort foods like charcuterie, pork loin, pretzels, and duck breast. The good news is that you can cab here and skip the whole hiking part.

A simple but extremely well done neighborhood cafe. Same Day is relatively cheap, with a basic menu and bright sunny space that will make you feel happy. The best part is that they make their own syrups, for old school fountain sodas with flavors ranging from blackberry to vanilla. They serve a classic egg cream, too.

One of the best places in the city for a large group dinner or a simple BYOB, 90 Miles serves authentic Cuban food in a fun but relaxed setting. The back patio is enclosed and heated in the winter, and the friendly waitstaff and colorful artwork make it an enjoyable place to hang. Make sure to bring some wine or rum for the excellent sangria and mojito mixes they offer.

Lost Lake is a tiki bar opened by Paul McGee, who also helped open tiki-themed Three Dots and a Dash. The dude apparently has a thing for tiki bars. Rest assured, the drinks at Lost Lake are better than the ones you once had on spring break in Cancun.

Margie’s is an old school diner that technically serves food, but you don’t want any of that. Come for the ice cream and the ice cream alone. The interior decor hasn’t been touched in years, and the classic sundaes are the best around. Very few ice cream shops get lines out the door in the winter, but this one does.